Chapter 48 (Fairy Tail Campaign): What Lies Ahead
Short Summary Long Summary Zeref reminds himself of the one rule to creating a brand new spell; check as many times as necessary. After putting the finishing touches on the enchantment, Zeref smiles in satisfaction, hoping it will be a success on the field. He closes the scroll and finds everything satisfactory, waiting patiently for the moment he can use the new spell. While it isn’t something that can wipe out the Alliance in one fell swoop, since something like that would take years to develop, it can eventually lead to their destruction, prompting Zeref to believe that the story is coming to an end. A cult member runs in, informing his lord that an Act of Order has entered the battlefield, specifically Straw Hat Luffy. Zeref then gives orders to stay updated, wanting to know everything about Luffy, his power, and what he does in the battle. Since the beginning of the war, Zeref ordered his underlings to keep an eye on the Acts of Order, and gather Intel whenever they can, meaning he knows everything about them, and what they’ve achieved so far. He is well aware of Ichigo’s duel with Midnight, Natsu’s fight against Grimmjow and his Fracciónes (which greatly disappointed Zeref), and Naruto’s confrontations with Smoker, Riruka, and a fragment of Konton. With Luffy entering the battlefield, Zeref will soon have a good idea where each Act of Order stands, and so far, he’s disappointed. He states Ichigo has incredible raw power, but he’s weakened by a lack of versatility, and his refusal to expand his power represents humanity’s arrogance. Zeref notes being impressed by Naruto’s stamina in facing Smoker, Riruka, and a piece of Konton in rapid succession, but calls him representative of humanity’s weakness in failing to beat a mere fragment of Konton. The Black Wizard sighs that he doesn’t know much about Luffy, but sources from the Pirate World have called him a wildcard, leading to Zeref equating the Pirate to the foolishness of humanity. Zeref frowns that Natsu (a.k.a. E.N.D.) has continued to disappoint him, since he couldn’t even beat Grimmjow. He sighs about giving Natsu so many chances to overcome him, but constantly falling short of his desires, infuriated at how weak his greatest creation is. He calls the other Acts humans fortunate enough to gain power to cover up their own pathetic deficiencies, admitting he isn’t happy that Natsu is on the same level as three lowly humans. Zeref states that he’s losing patience, with it already low from him forgetting the value of life. Every moment increases his anger, infuriated that the Alliance has no good reason to reject his rule, calling them arrogant, foolish, and weak. Calming himself, Zeref tells himself to wait a little longer, but if the current trend continues, he’ll be forced to take action. Lisanna points to the fireball in the sky, stating that it’s the signal. While Sai grins about things going their way, Chinjao gives the order to charge. Levy mutters about Gajeel being lucky things went in their favor after he disobeyed orders. Boo tells her to move on, but Levy yells that Gajeel needs to behave himself. Chinjao cuts off the argument telling them to move as the rest of the 2nd charges out of the trees and down the mountains. Several weary Coalition soldiers notice the 2nd wave, with one cursing at being outnumbered. Sabo grins that things are going exactly as he wants, with Marco playfully asking if that includes being controlled, earning a comic “Screw you” from the Commander. Hiashi points out stragglers to Sabo, and Hinata tells the group about the three allies coming down the mountain at a faster rate than the others, thinking they came early. Sabo glares at Luffy and asks if he dragged anyone along, with the Pirate sticking his tongue out while saying no. Sabo sighs and asks how many. Hinata reports three who possess Magic Energy, two with immense reserves. Sabo realizes that it’s Gajeel and Rogue, since Dragon Slayers have significant amounts of Magic, and they probably dragged Pantherlily with them. Sabo states that those three can mop up while the others can focus on taking the town. When Marco asks, Sabo expresses confidence in the three’s strength, and that they all have to move before the Coalition regroups. Sabo asks Hiashi to look around with his Byakugan, and the Clan Head reports the enemy trying to form lines of defense, along with underground pipes. Sabo frowns at the pipes, with Marco suggesting Chemical Warfare. Narrowing his eyes, Sabo states they’ll still need to move into the city, and that he and Marco will stay airborne with the Soul Reapers. Sabo then orders Luffy, Hinata, and Hiashi to move through the town, and get to the rooftops at the first sign of danger. They don’t know what the pipes can do, but Sabo guesses that the control room, or the man in control, must be nearby. Hiashi guesses that they’re to keep an out for them, with Sabo nodding that the Coalition has several mad scientists, telling the soldiers to take them out if they see them, due to the threat they pose. After Hiashi nods at that, remembering Orochimaru, Sabo tells the group to get moving. Kuro gets up, muttering about being underestimated and how he won’t stand for it. Vowing to destroy them all, Kuro attempts an Out of the Bag Attack, but he’s slammed with an Iron Dragon Club before he can move. Gajeel grins, asking if Kuro’s a Devil Fruit user or Arrancar. When Kuro says he’s a human who became a demon, Gajeel frowns, calling “Four-eyes” lacking in brains. Kuro glares at having his intelligence insulted, and Gajeel states that throwing away humanity and siding with Tartarus doesn’t sound smart. Rogue states they shouldn’t continue the small talk, urging to take Kuro down. Pantherlily agrees, reasoning that they need to finish quickly and form up with the others. Gajeel grins at this, telling the others to go ahead, but he’ll handle the loser. After Rogue’s protests, Gajeel reasons that the 2nd is already in the town, and that combining power against Kuro would just waste manpower, earning a frown from Kuro. When Pantherlily asks, Gajeel tells him not to worry, and he’ll be more than enough for his opponent. Nodding, Pantherlily sprouts wings and scoops up Rogue before taking flight. Kuro curses at this, leading Gajeel to yell that the fight is with him, telling him to keep his eyes on him. Gajeel starts with an Iron Dragon ROAR, but Kuro is able to dodge and vanish. Gajeel is able to keep up with the speed, blocking Kuro’s side jab with an Iron Dragon Sword. Kuro asks how trash can keep up with the Speed Curse, and Gajeel explains that Dragon Slayers have enhanced senses, plus Kuro is nowhere near the fastest opponent he’s had, that being Laxus. Kuro growls at being too slow, making Gajeel grin. Hissing in anger, Kuro repeatedly slashes at Gajeel, who is able to parry and block every attempted strike. Changing it up, Kuro kicks Gajeel back. Once recovered, Gajeel extends an Iron Dragon Spear, which Kuro dodges. Kuro slashes again, and is blocked by Gajeel’s sword. He tries to decapitate Gajeel with his other claw, but the Wizard counters with an Iron Dragon Club that slams into Kuro’s chest. Kuro lands on his feet and leaps forward. Gajeel is able to block with two Iron Dragon Swords, and then transforms his foot into a blade before kicking Kuro. Kuro is cut across the cheek while his claws are knocked away. Gajeel follows up with transforming his elbow into a blade, and plunging it into Kuro’s stomach. Taking the offensive, Gajeel sends an Iron Dragon ROAR, and while Kuro dodges this attack, Gajeel is able to keep up. The Wizard sends his Iron Dragon Lance: Demon Logs, but Kuro is able to speed through and slash at Gajeel. He’s able to duck and sends an Iron Dragon Sword. Kuro counters by using his legs to push himself from Gajeel, who’s knocked back from the force. Gajeel fires more Demon Logs while Kuro keeps dodging. After disengaging, Kuro notes that Gajeel really can keep up, while thinking he’s probably not even trying, earning a grin from the Dragon Slayer. Kuro chuckles, saying he had hoped not to use his highest speed. Internally, Gajeel expresses annoyance, calling him not enough of a challenge, wondering if Rogue and Lily found someone good to fight. Kuro states that since Gajeel downplayed his power, he’ll have to show its full extent. Kuro unleashes an Out of the Bag Attack, while Gajeel remains in place, patiently waiting for Kuro to finish. Once the attack ends, Kuro chuckles about being too fast, but then his claws completely shatter, with pain shooting up his arms. Kuro looks at his hands in shock, and Gajeel reveals he used Iron Dragon Scales. The Wizard sighs about taking Elfman’s strategy from the GMG, thinking he’d never live it down. Furious, Kuro rants about his plans being ruined, and how his plans cannot fail. Gajeel then floors and knocks out Kuro with an Iron Dragon Hard Fist. Scoffing, Gajeel states that Kuro was nowhere near the strength of Fairy Tail as he powers down his scales, adding that he’s not even close to a full-blooded Demon’s strength. Gajeel is then smacked upside the head by Levy, who yells about Gajeel disobeying orders. When he asks the shrimp what that was for, Levy smacks Gajeel again for being an idiot. Boo laughs while the other Coalition stragglers are rounded up by Alliance soldiers. Sai asks that the two continue their lover’s quarrel later, and the two viciously say they aren’t a couple. Gajeel notes that Sai is right, guessing that Kuro was just an appetizer, wondering what’s ahead. Aaroniero groans in pain as he dusts himself off, thinking about his close call. If he hadn’t used Nejibana to counter Sabo’s flames, he would have been annihilated. He still wonders how intense they had to be to evaporate all his water. Frowning, Aaroniero realizes the Alliance made it into the town. He decides to form up with Caesar to get a new plan. On the other hand, Caesar will probably head straight for his weapons, with Aaroniero wanting to be as far away as possible when that happens. After entering Clover, the Soul Reapers have spread out, with Izuru and Shūhei leading their teams through town. After taking out more rooftop squadrons, Shūhei notes that they’re completely overwhelming the opposition, earning a nod from Izuru. Internally, Izuru thinks it’s too easy, like the quality of soldiers went down in the town. Hidan and Kakuzu then appear, with the priest pointing out the death gods flying around, surprising everyone else present. Taking out his book, Kakuzu sighs in boredom as he states that no one here has a price on their head. Hidan glares at that, calling the heathens a mockery of Jashin, since the Soul Reapers call themselves gods. Kakuzu mutters about Hidan and his phony god, leading to Hidan yelling at his partner that Kakuzu will be his next sacrifice if he keeps mocking Jashin, and he’ll stab himself as much as possible to do it. Kakuzu retorts that Hidan would have to make him bleed first, adding that that’s out of the question. Hidan grumbles out a curse in response. As Shūhei wonders who the two are, Izuru points out the cloaks, identifying them as Akatsuki, which greatly concerns Shūhei. Hidan grins that they’re so well known, and Kakuzu points out that someone has to live under a rock not to hear about the terrorist group, or just be as dumb as he is. Hidan screams at Kakuzu for the insult, swearing that Kakuzu just says stuff like that to piss him off. Kakuzu claps at this, deadpanning that Hidan finally figured it out. Izuru curses, thinking that the Akatsuki are S-Ranked, and that lieutenants, like Izuru and Shūhei, are nowhere near that level. He reassures himself they have the numbers advantage, and that he could probably incapacitate Hidan easily, adding that they’ll have to fight smart. With a “Good Day”, Kakuzu appears between Izuru and Shūhei and punches them both in the face, knocking them away. Cracking his neck, Kakuzu turns to the other ten Soul Reapers when Hidan joins him. The miser states he has no interest in people who can’t make him money, deciding to be quick, and telling Hidan to have no rituals. When the priest says their blood wouldn’t satisfy Jashin, the Soul Reapers charge. In preparation, Kakuzu uses Earth Style: Iron Skin. Hidan is stabbed by five Zanpakutō while Kakuzu blocks the other five with his hardened arms. Hidan complains about the attack still hurting even if it can’t kill him, making a Soul Reaper shake in fear while shouting at the impossibility. Hidan grins that it is possible, and that Jashin has blessed him with immortality. As the Soul Reapers pull out their blades, Hidan yells for the “false gods” to die as he swings his scythe. He is able to catch one in the throat, instantly killing him. Kakuzu states that since his idiot partner started the bloodbath, he can’t be shown up. The miser then forces his opponents off balance and ensnares them all with the tendrils coming out of his arms. Kakuzu muses that he doesn’t need any new hearts yet, but is tempted with the idea of Soul Reaper hearts, and decides he could use extra. He then tears out the hearts of all five, killing them instantly. Kakuzu drops the bodies and quickly seals the hearts into a scroll. As the remaining four Soul Reaper grunts look in fear, Hidan laughs at them for looking so scared. Kakuzu steps forward, saying he will take their hearts if Hidan won’t use them for his pointless ritual. Hidan says its fine, but tells Kakuzu to stop insulting his rituals. Kakuzu charges, Iron Skin activated, and blocks the first Zanpakutō with his arm. The miser drives his fist into the offending Soul Reaper’s stomach, and instantly clotheslines another. When another tries to cut him down, Kakuzu simply blocks the blade with his arm, using his other arm’s tendrils to ensnare him. When the last Soul Reaper yells in worry, Kakuzu quickly uses his other arm’s tendrils to trap him, with the miser calling it so easy it was boring. Hidan tells his partner to hurry up, wanting to find someone worth sacrificing. Kakuzu then promises to make it quick and painless as his tendrils move forward. With a cry of “Reap, Kazeshini”, Kakuzu’s tendrils are cut with a Kusarigama, freeing the two Soul Reapers. Hidan hears a “Raise your head, Wabisuke” behind him, and blocks Izuru’s attack with his scythe. When Hidan asks about Wabisuke’s strange shape, Izuru backs off while saying the power is what counts. Hidan’s scythe suddenly becomes heavier, making it fall to the ground. Screaming in frustration as he picks it up with two hands, Hidan asks how this is possible. After Izuru explains that Wabisuke doubles the weight of anything metal it touches, Hidan yells that is a cheap power. Kakuzu sighs in annoyance at this while Shūhei gets in front of the two conscious Soul Reapers, telling them to grab the other two alive and get out of there. Once they’re gone, Kakuzu mocks Shūhei for sending his comrades away from a losing battle, calling the Lieutenant admirable but dumb, but not as stupid as his partner. Hidan screams in anger at that, distracted from a charging Izuru. Hidan curses as he instinctively raises his scythe, only realizing his mistake afterward. The scythe then becomes too heavy to wield, leading to Hidan promising to beat Izuru as he curses the Soul Reaper. Izuru then appears behind Hidan, with his blade around the priest’s neck, saying he’ll show the man why Wabisuke is shaped like it is. Cursing, Hidan tells Kakuzu to help him. Kakuzu brushes this off as he stares down Shūhei, claiming he’s kind of busy. Hidan starts to curse, but Izuru decapitates him. Flare Corona proudly stands over defeated Coalition soldiers, saying she’s never felt this powerful, especially not when she was with Raven Tail, wondering if this is what happens when she has comrades she can depend upon. Ivan Dreyar then speaks out, calling this disappointing, making Flare’s eyes go wide in horror. With a dark grin, Ivan states that he is Flare’s master and superior, and that he will be addressed as such, sending a wave of Shikigami Magic. Flare dodges, and Ivan frowns that she should have taken her master’s punishment. Flare yells that Ivan’s not her master, Raven Tail is no more, and she wants nothing to do with any of them. Ivan looks at Black Snake, pointing out that he said only Gajeel was there, asking how he missed Flare. Black Snake bows in shame, asking Ivan for forgiveness. Ivan sighs that no harm was done, since they can still punish Flare. Nullpudding chuckles that Flare should stay put, and running won’t save her. Flare readies her Hair Magic, promising to erase the last of her dark past, but finds herself becoming weaker. Hearing high pitched chuckling, Flare notices a small creature. Asking what it is, Ivan surprises her by saying it’s Obra, and it was working for Zeref all along. When Flare asks why join up, Ivan states that he has no answer for a traitor’s questions. Ivan orders his underlings to kill her after making her suffer. Too weak to run, Flare can only look on in horror as Black Snake and Nullpudding leap. Rogue asks if Gajeel can handle himself, with Pantherlily telling “Ryos” to have more faith in Gajeel. Rogue frowns and asks to be called Rogue, then telling Pantherlily to fly over the train station. When Lily asks why, Rogue explains that it might be enemy HQ, due to its importance, but would be filled with crucial supplies if it isn’t. When Lily protests they can’t just charge in, Rogue tells him just to drop him off. He’ll be able to hide in the shadows and be stealthy. When Lily points out the risk, Rogue reassures him that he’ll retreat through the shadows if things get difficult, reminding Lily that Gajeel is the only one who has even touched him in Shadow Dragon Form. Lily then uses Max Speed to fly to the train station, letting go of Rogue several feet from the station, who then proceeds to dive at high speeds. Noticing something, several Coalition soldiers fire, but Rogue is able to use Shadow Dragon Body to turn into shadows and move through the buildings. When a soldier complains about not seeing anything, he’s ordered to check the area, since explosives might have been dropped, all the while Rogue stealthily moves away. As Pantherlily flies back to Gajeel, he is shot at with several arrows. He then sees Chess aiming at him, with Kuromarimo at his side. The Exceed flies down, saying that was too close, deciding to confront them. Chess mockingly asks if things can get any freakier than a human cat, making Lily frown, knowing it won’t take long. Chess calls out for him to surrender now, saying a freak doesn’t stand a chance against Wapol’s elites. Kuromarimo shouts in agreement and charges with a Marimo Jab. Pantherlily takes the punch without even flinching, shocking the duo. After asking Kuromarimo if he even knows how to fight, Pantherlily uses a karate chop to strike the man through his afro, instantly beating him. The Exceed then reaches for his sword, while Chess yells for the “freak” to get away, firing three arrows. Pantherlily quickly cuts them all in half and rushes Chess, shocking the man. With one diagonal slash of his sword, Pantherlily instantly beats Chess. As Lily wonders if those two really are elites somewhere, Wapol appears, complaining about finding them to execute them for failing his order to silence the noises. When Lily identifies him as Wapol, the glutton shouts that it’s King Wapol, calling him a freak in the process. Raising his sword, Pantherlily states that he can tell Wapol is the bad kind of royalty just by looking at him. Laughing, Wapol calls Lily a freak and a fool, calling himself the greatest king to have ever lived. As Luffy uses a Gum-Gum Gatling to annihilate more Coalition soldiers, Hiashi asks why they even bothered to follow him. Hinata smiles and states that it’s better to fight in groups. Hiashi states that at this rate, Luffy will tear the army apart all on his own, asking if he ever gets tired, comparing him to Naruto in that regard. Hiyori slams her sandal on an already defeated soldier, saying that’ll teach him to mess with their world. When Lisa asks if the guy had enough, Hiyori shouts she’ll decide if he’s had enough. When Lisa asks why Hiyori chose that soldier to pick on, the pipsqueak answers that he looked at her weird, like he wasn’t taking her seriously. When Lisa calls her too short to be taken seriously, Hiyori dares her to say it again. Lisa promptly does so, asking if Hiyori is happy now. Hiyori yells in anger as something moves behind her. Heeding Lisa’s warning, the Vizard leaps away from a cloud of gas. Caesar Clown floats towards the two, admitting that while he doesn’t usually involve himself in strenuous labor, he’ll have to take care of this since his servants were wiped out. When Hiyori wonders about the man’s appearance, Lisa realizes they’re going to fight a Devil Fruit user. She states that she’ll need Hiyori’s help, asking her to focus and be on guard. Hiyori agrees, yelling for the two to take him out together. Omake: Why Certain Worlds Were Not Involved, Part 1 A servant asks what Chitsujo is doing, and the Being of Order explains that he’s observing a man in the Alchemy World. After being asked why, Chitsujo identifies the man as Roy Mustang, wondering if he can be a positive influence on his candidate if Konton messes with this world. He quickly says that won’t happen after Mustang dances and sings the Flame Alchemist Rap. Appearing Characters Zeref Lisanna Strauss Don Sai Don Chinjao Boo Levy McGarden Sabo Marco Hiashi Hyūga Hinata Hyūga Monkey D. Luffy Kuro Gajeel Redfox Rogue Cheney Pantherlily Aaroniero Arurruerie Izuru Kira Shūhei Hisagi Hidan Kakuzu Flare Corona Ivan Dreyar Black Snake Nullpudding Obra Chess Kuromarimo Wapol Hiyori Sarugaki Lisa Yadōmaru Caesar Clown Omake Chitsujo Roy Mustang Abilities Magic * Iron Dragon Slayer ** Iron Dragon Club ** Iron Dragon Roar ** Iron Dragon Sword ** Iron Dragon Spear ** Iron Dragon Lance: Demon Logs ** Iron Dragon Scales ** Iron Dragon Hard Fist * Shadow Dragon Form * Max Speed * Shikigami Magic * Hair Magic Jutsu * Earth Style: Iron Skin Curse * Speed Zanpakuto * Nejibana * Wabisuke ((侘助, The Wretched One) * Kazeshini (風死, Wind of Death) Techniques * Out of the Bag Attack * Marimo Jab * Gum-Gum Gatling Previous/Next Chapter Previous Chapter: Chapter 47 (Fairy Tail Campaign): Fatal Mistakes Next Chapter: Chapter 49 (Fairy Tail Campaign): My Comrade's Shield Category:Clover Town Arc Category:Chapters Category:Fairy Tail Campaign